After spending weeks, actually months on the hold list at the local library for Christopher McDougall’s Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen, I finally headed out to Borders with my 40% off coupon and bought it. I figured if this book generates a months long wait list at the library, it must be worth it – and it was …and more.
There are so many book reviews for Born to Run and I don’t have anything profound to add to the words of praise already written about this book. I can only say that I was at times incredulous, more often inspired, awed and impressed by this story. I fell in love with the Tarahumara, their will, their joy for running and life.
The journey begins with the author, Christopher McDougall’s quest to run free of constant foot pain attributed to running. McDougall, despite more than one contradictory diagnosis from doctors (including a prescription to ditch his running shoes and pick up a bike) doesn’t give up; instead he begins a journey to find the key to running without injury.
What follows is an incredible story, unbelievable characters including a barefoot runner named Ted, a couple of hard-partying ultra runners and a self-exiled, gringo Tarahumara, and amazing races in the most extreme conditions. McDougall argues that until the advent of the modern running age with its vast array of gel-supported stability shoes, humans ran free of pain. He discovers and learns first hand about the Tarahumara Indians of Mexico who run hundreds of miles in little more than bare feet (thin rubber soled sandals). These super athletes run through the treacherous Copper Canyons with out pain and with what can only be described as joy. From here McDougall’s journey takes us through ultra marathons (I thoroughly enjoyed paging through the story of the Leadville 100… an ultra marathon right in my backyard), the concept of barefoot running, primarily vegan diets and finally, the ultimate race in the Copper Canyons.
Even though I will never even come close to being an ultra runner or super athlete, somehow reading this book made me feel like a runner… whether you are a runner or not, check out this book – it’s inspiring.
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